Assessment of Mosquito Diversity and Plasmodium falciparum in Female Anopheles Mosquito in Students’ Hostels, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State Nigeria

Mosquitoes are considered as the most important insect vectors of many infectious disease agents, whose presence pose a serious public health concern within localities where they are found especially in tertiary institution. The study was conducted to identify mosquito species and Plasmodium falciparum in female Anopheles mosquito in students’ hostels of Ahmadu Bello University. Mosquitoes were caught once in a week for five months June to October (2018), by the used of test tube, chloroform and cotton wool. A total of 1341 mosquito vectors was identified, comprising four (4) species: Anopheles gambiae complex, Anopheles funestus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti. The mosquitoes were dissected transversely between the first and third pairs of legs under the dissecting microscope The entire samples were air dried, fixed in methanol and were stained using Giemsa and thin blood film examined under the light microscope for identification of Plasmodium falciparum. The result in this study showed that Culex quinquefasciatus constitutes the most abundant with 950 (59%) followed by Anopheles gambiae 370, (22%), and An. funestus 15(0.9%) while Aedes aegypti 3(0.1%) had the least. Of the two species of anophelene mosquitoes encountered in this study only Anopheles gambiae was positive for Plasmodim falciparum. The result simply showed that efforts to control malaria especially in Zaria area should be a combination of existing methods which is usually referred to as integrated control. Keywords: Mosquito, Plasmodium falciparum, Anopheles, Hostel

preliminary study on the Monthly dynamics of cattle tick infestation in Sokoto, north western Nigeria

The distribution and monthly dynamics of bovine ixodids in Sokoto Township and environs were recorded between Jan 2009 and Dec 2010. Monthly tick collections were performed on 400 animals from which a total of 12, 296 ticks were collected. Ticks from each cattle were collected separately using a pair of blunt forceps, into labelled universal bottles containing 70% ethanol into which 5% glycerine was added to keep specimens better  preserved. On each label, the location, breed of the animal, number of ticks and date of collection were recorded. In the laboratory, Ticks were placed into petri dishes, counted, examined and identified with the aid of a dissecting stereoscope based on morphological Characteristics and aided by the use of standard keys according to Hoogstraal (1956) and Walker et al. (2003). These include Hyalomma truncatum (15.5%), Hyalomma  dromedarii (13.3%), Boophilus decolaratus (11.3%) Amblyomma variegatum (10.6%), Hy. impeltatum, (10.1%), Hy. rufipes (9.4%), Hy. impressum (7.4%), Boophilus annulatus (4.4%), B. geigyi (4.3%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (4.1%) Amblyomma hebraeum (3.4%), Rh. evertsi (2.6%), A. pomposum (2.0%), Rh. lunulatus (1%) and Rh. senegalensis (0.5%). Hyalomma. truncatum, Hy. impeltatum, Hy. Impress B. annulatus, A. hebraeum, A. pomposum, Rh. lunulatus and Rh. senegalensis were recorded for the first time in the Study area. The distribution and dynamics of cattle ixodid ticks has not been hitherto chronicled in the study area. Key words: Population, dynamics, cattle ticks, Sokoto township and environs